The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 14 Jan 2009

14.01.2009 Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in December 2008

The last month of the year summed up its results and eloquently showed that, despite the demonstrative wish of the authorities to lead a dialogue with the West, the situation of Human Rights remained the same. On one hand, two (only two!) independent newspapers were returned to the state distribution system, the republican Human Rights and the educational association For Freedom was registered (on the fourth attempt). On the other hand, the pressurization of dissidents continued.

14.01.2009 Zinaida Hanchar: ‘Change of investigators of the case of disappearance of my husband gives no results, as no concrete work is done’

Zinaida Hanchar, wife of the kidnapped vice-speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the 13th Convocation Viktar Hanchar, has received a letter from Minsk city prosecutor’s office with the information that the investigation of the case was extended to 24 March 2009 and will be lead by a new investigator – Yu.Varauka. Of course, Mrs. Hanchar wanted to have a meeting with the news investigator. On 12 January she phoned to him with such a proposal. The investigator answered that there were no reasons for a meeting. He said that in the case she wanted to meet with him, she needed to submit an official petition with grounding of the reasons and then the prosecutor’s office would decided whether there was any need for the meeting.

14.01.2009 Ales Zarembiuk demands that subscription to ‘Hazeta Slonimskaya’ and ‘Novy Chas’ be returned

The member of the For Freedom movement Ales Zarembiuk applied to the director general of the republican unitary enterprise with the proposal to include Hazeta Slonimskaya and Novy Chas into the subscription catalogue. ‘Hazeta Slonimskaya is the only non-state socio-political edition on the territory of Hrodna oblast,’ emphasizes the activist. He calls the authorities not to create artificial obstacles on the newspapers’ way to the readers.

14.01.2009 US lawyers accuse Belarusian authorities of torturing Zeltser

Patton Boggs law firm has filed an urgent complaint with a UN Special Rapporteur on Torture demanding to investigate torturing of Emanuel Zeltser.

14.01.2009 Another civil activist is expelled from educational establishment

Aliaksei Zmushko, coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy in Rechytsa, has been expelled from Agricultural Academy of Horki.